Book

Review written for ClubReading.com by Sally The authors do an excellent job of researching and presenting a brief overview of Shaker origins and history. For instance, did you know that the Shakers were “the first people in this country to grow herbs on a large scale for the pharmaceutical market.” And that “the best medical gardens in the United States are those established by the communities of Shakers.” The Shakers would fit right in with today’s obsession with diets. They “fought adulteration of food products, abhorred waste, and were moderate in their eating habits. While some of their recipes may seem excessively rich and fattening to us today, we must remember that they ate in moderation and thrived on a well-balanced diet.” ...

Review written for ClubReading.com by Sally Sarah Cain and her sister never got along growing up. That is not hard to believe since they chose very different lifestyles and vocations. Sarah is thoroughly modern, likes “things” very much and can afford to buy them. She is still single at age 28 and is a very successful real estate agent in Portland, Oregon. Her sister, Ivy chose to marry an Amish man and join the Plain lifestyle. They had five children before her husband died. The sisters have not even seen one another for 12 years. Now Sarah gets word that Ivy has died from a heart problem. ...

Review written for ClubReading.com by Sally Mail order brides were not a new concept. However, in this country it was a thriving business in the mid-1800s. There are several factors that contributed to the success of the enterprise. Thousands of men went west to seek their fortunes during the California gold rush. Of course, in any era there are those who quick to see an opportunity to make a profit. There simply were not enough women to go around out west. Back east there was a severe shortage of eligible bachelors. Many sweethearts and husbands were killed in the Civil War–or went west. ...

Review written for ClubReading.com by Susan Siblings Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha are bored. It’s summer in 1920s Toledo, Ohio, their widowed mother works all day, and they can’t afford to go to the beach. Then Jane finds a magic coin on the sidewalk that grants wishes but only in halves. “Wah oo merglitz fitzahhh!” says the cat, after Martha wishes it could talk. When the children figure out what the coin can do, they plunge into a series of escapades involving knights in (partly) shining armor, the Sahara desert, much chaos, and eventual new happiness. Eager’s sure touch never falters, and the world as it was before TV and computers is as magical as the wishes granted by the mysterious coin. This is the first, and most enjoyable, in a set of children’s books by Eager involving magic, time-travel, and the unexpected consequences of both. Adult readers need not be accompanied by a minor. ...

Review written for ClubReading.com by Barbara While fishing, Span Barrman is intimidated by a motorcyle gang and escapes into a cave. Returning to explore it, he ends up trapped. Within this cave he discovers a strange and beautiful world of caverns and waterfalls and a river flowing into a sea. He also finds the help he needs from a wondrous strange creature who ultimately also helps illuminate Span’s life. ...

Review written for ClubReading.com by Bill This years submission is (as usual) a well put together anthology of poetry submissions. Most of the work is new and young in nature. Several standouts directly referencing modern day technology and influences. In the past, I’ve very much enjoyed the poetry review, but Number 13 left me wanting. It has a great variety of styles and subjects. But falls short of heart gripping literary works, instead, most of the pages are filled with immature drivel that sounds slightly more organized than scratchings on a waffle-house napkin at 3am. ...

Review written for ClubReading.com by Barbara An apparently everyday sort of woman, Sarah Myles, hears music, just four notes, and she hears them again and again. She’s heard these notes since childhood. Then a car accident expands the notes, adding visions to them. With the help of a parapsychologist, she slowly unravels the mystery of what she’s seeing and hearing-and it’s something that could change the earth upon which Christianity stands. Note: Beverly Byrne has produced other equally well-written books, one being Women’s Rites which I also heartily recommend. ...

Review written for ClubReading.com by Barbara Astrology’s vision of Mars has often been one of bad notions and harsh influences. In this novel, 25 of the world’s best scientists travel to the planet and learn that pseudo-science has been at least partially correct all along. They find Mars to be at turns magestic, treacherous, and violently beautiful, but in addition to battling the elements, they must also battle their political and egotistical differences. Throughout the story, the characters’ inevitable goal is the Tithonium Chasma, a canyon far larger than any back home, and when they finally reach it, a discovery awaits them, one they never even dreamed of. ...

Review written for ClubReading.com by Linda This is the story of an angel and a demon, and how they each manage to learn to like humans. And what happens when Armagedon comes and no one knows where the Antichrist is. And how when humans get involved in the program, things get messed up. And why the four horseman get motorcycles instead of horses. While the book was a collaboration, it’s seamless. I suspect, however, that the same author wrote the footnotes throughout. Do not skip them; they are an extremely funny commentary on life. The book is very fast-paced, but you still get to know the characters and come to care about them. So Armageddon, or the lack of it, becomes important to the reader as well. ...

Review written for ClubReading.com by Barbara On the bestseller list for a long time, and deservedly so, Aztec is a fictional exploration of a culture so alien and yet so familiar. All of it is seen throught the eyes of Mixtli with whom we journey through adventure, comedy and hazard, through birth, love and suffering. It is with Mixtli that we meet the death of the Aztec empire, the Conquistadors, and it is through him that the Aztec world comes alive. Unfortunately for the world, Gary Jennings died in February of 1999. ...